Snippets
by rubberglue
Summary: A collection of unrelated ficlets. Mostly AG.
1. Operation Dragonfire

AN: A long time ago, I took part in a fic challenge which basically involved trying to write as many ficlets as possible from the prompts given. They are all very short, but I hope you enjoy them anyway.

* * *

_Prompt: Operation Dragonfire_

"What kind of name is Operation Dragonfire?" asked Gwen as she settled herself on Arthur's lap. She hummed as Arthur nuzzled her neck, laughing when he reached down to tickle her.

"It's a brilliant name. I thought it up myself last night."

"Remind me never to leave you alone at night again." His arms tightened around her waist and he nipped her neck. "So tell me, Mr Brilliant, what exactly is Operation Dragonfire."

Gwen chuckled at the look of superiority that crossed his face and couldn't resist pressing a kiss against his lips. "It is the name for a new plan I have."

"Should I fear for my life."

"Pfft. It has nothing to do with us. Not really anyway. My plan is to get Merlin and Morgana together."

Gwen was speechless, not sure if she should be more amused that Arthur was playing matchmaker or that Arthur was ok with Merlin dating his sister.

"Well? Don't you think it's a brilliant idea?"

Tangling her fingers in his hair, Gwen smiled. "They can barely stand the sight of each other. Just yesterday they were having this huge quarrel over dinner!"

"Which is my point really. All this passion must mean something. I bet if we get them together, their energy will be better spent than standing in my office yelling at each other."

"Ah. I should have known it wasn't because of your concern for their happiness."

Arthur's laughter burst into her ear. "Of course I am concerned for their happiness. There's a lot to be said for passionate sex. Much better than all that yelling." He emphasised that statement by pressing a warm kiss to her back and slipping his hand under her blouse. Gwen promptly slapped his hand away.

"So tell me your grand plan."

A sheepish grin crossed Arthur's face. "Well, that's about it really. I spent most of the time thinking up the name - Dragonfire. I mean, they are like two fire-breathing dragons aren't they when they are together."

"Very apt. But pointless if you have no plan." She swallowed a laugh and patted his cheek with affection.

"I was actually thinking that we could lock the two of them in a room with a bed."

Gwen laughed, then kissed her very silly boyfriend soundly on his lips. "How about we lock ourselves in a room with a bed?"


	2. Mithian

_Prompt: __Arthur and Gwen talk about his engagement with Mithian_

She's reviewing the guest list when she sees her name. She knows of course that she was going to be invited to the wedding but seeing her name written in Arthur's messy scrawl not only makes it real for her, but also sends a shiver of discomfort through her.

She runs a finger across the name, unsure if she hopes it would disappear or if it would give her some measure of comfort.

_Mithian. _

It haunts her even as she dines with Arthur and eventually, Arthur dismisses Merlin, leaving them both alone. He probes, gently - he's always been gentle ever since her return, as if afraid that she would leave at any moment - and she finally tells him. She's a princess, she says, as if it explains everything. It does to her but she see incomprehension in Arthur's eyes. And for some reason, that calms her swirling thoughts.

He tells her it is her he loves, her he wants by his side as Queen and that as lovely as Mithian is, she is and never will be what Gwen is to him.

But Merlin had mentioned once that Arthur had liked her and she tells Arthur that but he frowns. Likes her? Maybe, he says but he loves her. His hand wraps around hers and he sidles closer to her. Then in a low voice he confesses. He wanted to marry Mithian to show Gwen that he could live without her. He wanted to marry Mithian because it would have brought peace to the disputed lands. He wanted to marry Mithian because he was hurting. But in the end, he couldn't because he knew then, as he knows now, that the only person meant for him is her and as he told Mithian then, without her, life has no meaning.

But it's not the words that ease her uncertainty, it's the love that shines from his eyes. She smiles a watery smile then reaches up to kiss him. His arm immediately tightens around her and they tumble into bed.


	3. Stranger in my Bed

_Prompt: __why is there a strange girl in my bed?_

Arthur was used to Merlin bringing home stray animals. The first time, it'd been a kitten. Then, a sparrow. The last animal had been a dog and despite Arthur's grumbles about animals soiling his once pristine penthouse apartment (it was pristine until Merlin moved in), Arthur felt he'd been really quite generous about the whole thing.

But this time, he really needed to have a good, long talk to Merlin because right now, lying on his bed, was a strange girl. Her face was buried in his pillow and she was curled up on her side. For some reason, the thought that she looked as if she belonged in his bed popped into his head. Arthur shook his head immediately. What a foolish thought. No woman belonged in his bed. They made visits but they never stayed.

Still, something made him lean over and push a lock of hair out of her face. She was a pretty one and under more normal circumstances, he might have been interested in getting to know her better. Was she homeless? She didn't look it - her clothes, while not like the branded finery his dates usually wore looked clean and classy and she certainly wasn't skinny. Perhaps she was running away from something. In sleep, her features were relaxed and she looked vulnerable. Did Merlin learn about her troubles and thought to rescue her?

He needed to call Merlin. Digging into his pockets for his mobile phone, he turned away only to turn back when he heard movement. She shifted a little, then her eyes fluttered open. For a moment, she glanced at him and smiled a soft, tentative smile.

Desire shot through him.

"Oh my god," She sat up, grabbed the blankets and covered herself. "Why are you here?"

Amused, he smiled. "Because this is my room and you're in my bed."

She blinked, as if trying to process his words. "This isn't Merlin's room?"

Arthur shook his head, dropping his phone back into his pocket. "Wait - you and Merlin didn't do anything on my bed, did you?"

"Me and Merlin? Oh god no. No. I just - it's a long story. Maybe -"

"Isn't that convenient. I'm hungry and I'm free. How about you get washed up - you can use my bathroom - and we go for lunch and you can tell me all about this story." He wasn't actually hungry and when she was in the bathroom, he was going to have to postpone a few meetings. But she intrigued him and suddenly, he was keen to get to know her better.


	4. Paintball Tactics

_Prompt: __Arthur/Guinevere and opposites. _

Morgana eyed her suspiciously. "How do we know you're not a spy?"

"We've been friends since middle school. Surely you know me better than that," muttered Gwen as she pulled on her shoes, tossing the delicate heels she was wearing into the locker. When Morgana continued to stare at her with narrowed eyes, she sighed then turned to Merlin. "Merlin?"

To her chagrin, Merlin merely shrugged. "She'd got a point you know. I mean, we trusted you before but now you're sleeping with the enemy. That changes things."

"How does that change things? Because I've seen him naked?"

"Eww!" Morgana squeezed her eyes shut. "Bad memories. Please let's not talk about my brother naked."

"See!" Gwen said gleefully, "you don't question Morgana's loyalty although she's Arthur's sister."

"That is because I can't stand my brother and the whole world knows that."

"That's not true," Gwen said. "I remember someone who skipped an important meeting to tend to her poor ailing brother."

"Ha! I only did that so Dad wouldn't cut me out of the will. I want my share. And this is our third year doing this. I have a track record. You, on the other hand, don't."

Gwen sighed, a mixture of exasperation and amusement. "And how will I get a track record when you won't trust me now?"

"She has a point. Anyway, Arthur and his buddies are just going to thrash up again so I don't even know why we bother," grumbled Merlin as he distributed the guns. Then he perked up. "Unless, the fact that he wants to make nice with his girlfriend -"

"Brilliant!" squealed Morgana.

"Hey! One moment you don't want me and now you are going to use me?" Gwen huffed.

"Hey," Morgana smirked. "He invited you to be on his team but you chose us. And since we're the perennial underdogs, we need a secret weapon. That's you." Her grin widened. "Come on Gwen, you wanted to prove your loyalty to us right?"


	5. Thistle and Weeds

_Prompts: thistle and weeds_

Every year, when the moon blazed high in the night sky, when silence and peace enveloped Camelot, Guinevere would take a walk alone, accompanied only by Percival, down to the lower town, back to where her house still stood. After her marriage, she had suggested selling her house but Arthur had wanted her to keep it.

"It would give you a place to call your own, somewhere you can go when you need a break, somewhere you can be yourself," he had said, surprising her with his perceptiveness. Then, she'd declined, saying she could be herself with him, in their chambers. But he'd laughed, grabbed her close and asked what would happen if she was angry with him. Somehow they'd ended up in bed after that.

They never spoke of selling her home again.

As she stood in front of her house, as the cold air swirled around her, lifting her hair, memories of her life as a servant buffeted her. The day her father had burst into the house, beaming with pride that he'd managed to secure her a job in the castle. The day her father and Elyan had their huge argument before he stormed out and disappeared for years. And while she cherished those thoughts, she'd long made peace with their memories.

Like always, Percival stood outside as she went in. Standing in the middle of the room, she closed her eyes. It was here she met Arthur the man, not the prince. It was here they laughed and talked and fell in love. It was here he proposed. And it was here she stood to remember him as the man, her lover, her love. A time when she was just a woman in love with a man, when they thought little of destiny, of power, of magic.

"Do you want me to get someone to clear out the thistle and weeds?" Percival would ask when they finally made the walk back to the castle where she would have to become Queen again. And every time, she would shake her head. Maybe when the thistle and weeds finally swallowed the house, she'd be able to move on.


	6. Simple Maths

_Prompt:_ Maths

"It's simple maths. There are four of us. Now, Arthur can't possibly date his sister and I know neither of you are lesbians so I will have to date Morgana. Which leaves you and Arthur, so you have to go with Arthur."

"I have never heard anything so silly in my life," laughed Gwen as she cleared Merlin's table. "In the first place, why are we going for this fancy charity gala dinner? And secondly, Arthur Pendragon, who mind you I've never met, sounds like the sort of man who can easily get any date he wants."

Merlin sighed. "We are going because Arthur gave us tickets. Look, when else will we get a chance to squeeze into those expensive things we bought for prom night again? I only wore my suit once. I would like to get more use out of it."

"I don't know what world you're living in, Merlin, but prom night was six years ago. Which means your suit, which wasn't exactly on the cutting edge of fashion then, is horribly outdated now. Also, what makes you think we can still fit into those things?"

"I can. I tried it on last night."

Gwen dropped the rag onto the table, looked around to see if anyone else needed her attention, then sat on the chair next to Merlin. "You are up to something."

"As I said, it's simple maths."

"We can go together. After all, if you want to relive prom, that's exactly what we did."

"What about Arthur and Morgana?"

Gwen threw her hands up. "I don't know. They are the famous Pendragon siblings. Everyone would be delighted to be their date."

"Except you," Merlin pointed out while waving his fork at her.

Gwen narrowed her eyes and leaned towards him. "Confess your machiavellian plan or I won't be party to it."

"Alright fine. Arthur is going with Morgana. At least that's the plan but see, Morgana and I -"

Throwing the dirty rag at Merlin, Gwen gasped then laughed. "Oh my god, you're sleeping with Morgana! I knew it! No wonder you've been MIA the past few evenings."

"Shh! I don't need the whole world to know this."

"Miss? Waitress?"

Gwen ignored the customer. Let Susan get him. "Ok so now you and Morgana want to go together and Arthur needs a date."

"Basically."

"Why me?" She turned to the table next to them. "I'm sorry, miss, but would you like to date Arthur Pendragon?"

"Gwen!" hissed Merlin. "Sorry! She's just slightly drunk." He glared at her. "Arthur fancies himself in love with you."

"What?"

"Apparently, I talk glowingly of you all the time."

She raised her eyebrows. "Ooh, tell me more."

"And so he's fascinated by you and he has seen your pictures too. He wants to meet you and Morgana thinks that he'll be less pissed about her ditching him at the last minute if you were his date. He's rich and handsome, Gwen. Plus he thinks you're intriguing."

"Intriguing - like an unsolved murder?" Gwen grinned. "Oh fine. Only because I want to be able to tell my grandchildren one day that I dated Arthur Pendragon."

Merlin laughed in response. "Who knows. Maybe those grandchildren will be yours and his."


	7. Opposites

_Prompt: Gwen is the Prime Minister's daughter while Arthur is the crown prince of England._

His lips are suckling at her neck, her hands are fumbling with his trousers and despite that tiny, sensible part of her brain that's flashing a warning, she's never felt so aroused or free in her life. Being the Prime Minister's daughter means following rules, regulation and reams of protocol. Here, in this darkened hotel room, she is free from all the shackles.

"Oh, do that again," she groans and he obliges, nibbling along her collar.. She finally pushes his trousers down together with his boxers - boxers that are bound to be cheesily patriotic - and wraps her hand around his hard length. He breath is released on a long hiss and Gwen smiles. Who knew she had so much power over the Crown Prince?

Somehow, he's managed to push her dress to the floor and his lips have latched onto her nipple. He bites and sucks and every touch of his on her skin is like fire. Why does someone so annoying have to be so gorgeous? Why does her body want him so much? Why are they doing this again?

But her eminently sensible questions are drowned out by the roar of desire that courses through her veins as he kisses her stomach, his hands firm against her hips.

"Tell me to stop," Arthur mutters against her stomach, his fingers poised just above her center. "We hate each other."

"We do," she agrees but moves so his fingers get closer. A low growl escapes from him and Arthur pushes his fingers in while his thumb rubs her clit. "I hate your ego, your refusal to listen to my father - "

"Don't talk about your father." He withdraws his fingers, adjusts their positions so his length is against her. "Last chance to say no."

She says yes and he sinks into her. Her teeth sink into her bottom lip as she tries not to cry out at the pleasure of having him fill her.

At the next party a month later, he catches her eye across the room and lifts his glass. Within the hour, they find an empty guest room.


	8. Some Things You Just Can't Unsee

_Prompt: Arthur and Gwen hear noises in the Throne Room. _

"Stop it!" Gwen laughs as Arthur tries to kiss her neck. They have just finished a walk around the town and Arthur is in a particularly cheeky mood. Not only does he insist that they have to walk plastered together from hip to thigh, he keeps trying to touch her as they make the very long trek back to their chambers.

"You're my wife!" He whines as he nudges her into an alcove. "I should be able to kiss you whenever I want."

For that, she smacks his shoulder. Then she relents and allows Arthur to press her up against the wall and kiss her.

"You know," she mutters between kisses, "we do have a very comfortable bed in our chambers."

"Much too far away," Arthur replies as his hands lifts her skirts and caress her thighs. "I need you now. After you licked your lips when eating the bread from Joven, I've been thinking of this."

Her laugh is a mix of amusement and desire. With his mouth at her neck and his hands so close to where she knows she's wet and throbbing, all logical arguments for not making out in the alcoves flee her mind.

Someone groans. Gwen pulls Arthur closer, urging his fingers to where she's aching.

Another groan.

Then Arthur stops and looks up. "That wasn't you, was it?"

"I thought it was you," Gwen gasps.

Realisation dawns upon them at the same time and they immediately separate and smooth their clothes down. Opposite is the door to the throne room. Gwen raises her eyebrows.

There's another groan followed by a giggle.

Gwen grins. Someone has the same idea as they did. When she sees Arthur about to barge into the room, she grabs him. Instead, quietly as possible, she pushes open the door, quickly slapping her hand over Arthur's mouth when he opens it.

On the Round Table, the pride and joy of Arthur, was Leon and -

"Is that cook?" hissed Arthur.

It was indeed cook.

"We have to stop them!" Arthur mutters then before Gwen can say anything, Arthur clears his throat exaggeratedly.

Leon and the cook scramble apart, both flushed from their exertions and stare confusedly at them.

"Let's go." Gwen pulls at Arthur. She's seen far too much of Leon and cook now and she fears any more and she'd be having nightmares.

"I want the table cleaned!" Arthur roars. "And Leon, you're on night guard duty for the next month!"

Arthur grumbles all the way back to their chambers as the hilarity of the situation finally hits Gwen.

"I'm glad you find it funny because you're going to have to cook my meals now. I can't eat anything cook cooks, not now that I know what she looks like naked."

"You know what I look like naked," Gwen points out, trying not to laugh.

Arthur glares at her, then buried his head in his pillow as Gwen fails to contain her laughter.


	9. Visualisation

_Prompt: Visualisation_

The moment he stepped into the room, he knew he'd made a huge mistake. Actually, he knew he'd made a mistake when he said yes to Merlin. Agreeing to Merlin was always a mistake. The room was full of people his father would have felt comfortable with aka people he couldn't stand - rich, full of themselves and so trapped in their ivory towers they never knew how their decisions affected the people who lived outside those white walls.

He wondered how on earth Merlin knew of this place. Speaking of Merlin, where on earth was that blasted personal assistant of his? Gone again, unsurprisingly. Merlin was never where Arthur needed him to be and yet for some reason, managed to be the most efficient PA he'd ever had. Arthur sighed. Merlin was a mystery wrapped up in mystery and there was no use trying to solve him. It wasn't like he wanted to be Merlin's friend.

"Hi everyone! I'm Guinevere, but most people call me Gwen. I'm going to be your facilitator today."

Arthur swore. When he found Merlin, he would throttle him then sack him. Or the other way round.

She talked about stress and how it was important to be able to relax as he slid down into his seat, hoping that she wouldn't notice him. The moment her voice trembled, he knew she'd seen him. Damn. She was probably thinking that he was stalking her now. Even without looking at her, he could feel the heat of her gaze and he remembered the way her hands and lips felt on his body.

Damn one night stand.

Damn one night stand with Merlin's best friend.

Damn one night stand with Merlin's best friend he couldn't stop thinking about.

"We'll start with a visualisation exercise! I want all of you to try and clear your mind of all thoughts and close your eyes. Now, think of something relaxing - maybe a place that you feel peace -"

Her voice washed over him, reminding him of how she'd whispered all the things she'd wanted to do to him into his ear.

"Imagine you are at that place -"

Images of his bedroom floated into his mind. Then of her. And then of them in bed.

This was going to be a long session and Arthur highly doubted he was going to be any more relaxed coming out of it. Damn Merlin.


	10. Yesterdays and Tomorrows

_Prompt: __every saturday, they meet at a café. _

She's always the first to arrive. By now, the cafe owner knows to keep the corner table free and she settles into it. She flips through the menu although she knows she will order the iced latte. Merlin slides in beside her. They share a brief kiss and he waves the waiter over. Arthur will be late, as usual so they place their orders first. The conversation starts, as it always does, with updates of the things happening in their lives. Gwen tells Merlin of the first step her daughter takes. Merlin regales to her what happened during the late shift at the hospital. It's pleasing but it's also mere chatter. Arthur turns up eventually, this time with a red tie. He always wears something red. He nods at Merlin before sitting down. Then, as always, he takes her hand and presses a kiss in her palm. It's the only touch they share. The drinks arrive and for a while, they sit in silence. Today, it is her who speaks first, mentioning a picnic shared in the forests that line Camelot. She's been thinking of it the whole week. Together they piece the memory back, each of them contributing a moment or two. Merlin dutifully scribbles it down on a battered notebook. One day, their stories will be complete and they'll finally remember it all, when they were Kings and Queens and lovers of a distant age. Merlin's mobile shatters the bubble they build in the cafe. Their time is up and reluctantly they take their leave. They have lives here to lead as well.

* * *

AN: Thank you for the comments! Also, you can probably tell that this snippet was the inspiration for a certain unfinished fic.


	11. The Prize

_Prompt: Circus / Carnival_

Gwen held his hand - oh no she wasn't because her arms were full of stuffed toys. Arthur glared at them as if staring intensely enough at them would make them disappear. It didn't, which was a pity.

"You know we don't have space in our apartment for all of this."

"Arthur, you insisted we buy this far-too-big-for-us apartment. We could have a room set aside for them and still have enough space for Merlin and Gwaine to crash over." She bumped his slightly with her hips and he frowned at her. Instead of looking suitably chastened, she laughed and walked on.

She was right of course but it didn't mean he had to like it.

"They don't exactly go with -"

"Gwen!" Merlin shoved past Arthur. "Ta-daa!" And with the worst flourish Arthur had ever seen, Merlin produced yet another stuffed - uh duck (he thought although it could possibly be a platypus, one never knew with these things.)

"You! You won this?" If Merlin, the boy who couldn't walk very far without tripping over his own feet, could win at a carnival game, Arthur would eat his hat. It was a good thing he didn't have a hat.

Gwen elbowed him and shook her head, all the while fussing over the duck. She was amazing - it was stuffed toy number 9 and she still managed to act as if she was delighted with it. No wonder she was such a well-loved elementary school teacher. She could probably act as if kid number 200 showing her the same, ugly line scribbles was showing her some brilliant masterpiece.

Merlin smirked. "Won it at that counter. I guessed which cup the ball was under correctly. How about you?"

"Please. These are kids' games."

"Kids' games indeed. You got bested by a 6 year old at that shooting game!" Arthur scowled and turned to see a grinning Gwaine behind him, yet another stuffed toy in his arms.

Percival and Elyan walked over, arms linked. "Oy! Still not won anything yet Arthur? Gwen, are you sure this is the man you want to spend the rest of your life with?"

"Elyan!" Sure, Gwen was chiding her brother but he didn't miss the amusement in her voice or in her eyes. She was a traitor.

It was time to pull rank.

"Shut up. Or I know who's going to be given the Mercia project to handle."

Protests rose immediately and Arthur's mood suddenly took a turn for the better. It was great to be president.

Beside him, he knew Gwen was rolling her eyes as she said, "Alright. Why don't we call this a day and get some dinner?"

Immediately the protests morphed into a discussion on where to eat, enthusiastically led by Gwaine.

"Thank you for bringing me here," Gwen murmured as the rest of them focused on dinner plans. "I know how much you dislike carnivals."

"Yeah," he grunted, still feeling slightly sore about a great many things, most of them fluffy and stuffed with - he had no idea what they were stuffed with - probably everything evil.

"I wouldn't call you a loser though." Her voice dropped and her tone became flirtatious. "I think you just might have a prize back home, one wrapped in lace and ribbons."

"You know what?" Arthur announced to everyone, "Gwen and I are going to have a nice, romantic dinner together. Without you." He slipped an arm around her waist and urged her away. She laughed and waved before continuing to tell him in explicit details what his prize entailed.


	12. Dancing

Gwen stood in the shadows, where all the servants stood until they were needed and watched as all the nobles drifted along the floor to the music provided by the small band in the corner. Her body swayed to the music and she smiled, remembering how her mother would teach her to dance when she was a young girl. Then her eyes settled on Arthur and the lady in his arms. Lady Jacqueline, a foreign princess who was a guest of Lord Bowen. She looked exactly like the type of person Arthur would be expected to marry and the joy of listening to the music evaporated and a stone settled in her stomach. She knew she should look away but instead, she spent the whole evening watching Arthur dance with Lady Jacqueline, wondering what he was thinking about when he smiled and whether he was comparing her with Lady Jacqueline.

After the dinner and dance ended, Gwen stayed in the kitchen to help clean up, partly to be helpful and partly because she wanted to hide from Arthur. She didn't like how he always managed to arouse the darkest feelings in her. Cook had gone off and it was just her and Mary doing the washing up. The methodical rhythm of scrubbing and washing distracted her until she heard familiar footsteps coming into the kitchen.

"My lord," Mary squeaked.

"Why don't you go home Mary. It is late." It was a command disguised as a suggestion and Mary quickly shed her apron and left.

Quietly, as if sensing the mood she was in, he simply stood beside her and helped with the washing up. He wasn't terribly good at it but they managed to finish it.

"Why are you here?"

"Because I don't want you to go home upset." He pulled her into a loose embrace. "Lady Jacqueline means nothing to me and I am going to marry you."

"Arthur -"

He chuckled. "I know all your objections by heart by now Guinevere." He kissed her gently. "And they are all about how you think you know what is best for me."

Reluctantly, she smiled. "I do know what is best for you -"

"Shh. Just dance with me. I didn't get to dance with your upstairs since you kept hiding in the shadows."

"There's no music." Gwen tucked her head into his shoulder, both to hide the flush on her face and to savour the feel of him so close.

"I'll hum." He pulled her closer, tightened his hold on her and they swayed to the imaginary music in their heads.


	13. Dragon Rides

"Whoo!" Llacheu screamed as Aithusa lifted off. "Faster! Faster!" Merlin grabbed Llacheu, quickly muttering a spell to ensure he wouldn't fall off. "This is fun Uncle Merlin!"

"It is. Just remember not to tell your parents!"

"I won't Uncle Merlin!"

Llacheu, thought Merlin bitterly, was a liar. He watched from the corner of the room as Arthur stalked up and down, anger shimmering in him and as Gwen fussed over Llacheu before setting him a distance from her and giving him a stern talking to. One would think that after all these years, Arthur and Gwen would have more trust in him. Why would he ever hurt Llacheu or put him in a position to get hurt?

Finally, a sullen Llacheu was packed off to bed and both Arthur and Gwen turned their attention to Merlin.

He raised his arms in surrender. "I admit that it's all my fault. I shouldn't have told him about my dragon riding."

"That's true," muttered Arthur darkly.

"And I really shouldn't have said yes to him riding a dragon."

Gwen nodded, disapproval all over her face. "It was dangerous and we agreed that there would be no magic near Llacheu until he's twelve."

"He was crying."

"All the more you shouldn't have given in. Now he'll think all he needs to do is cry to get what he wants. We don't want him to turn into another Arthur do we?" Gwen said.

Arthur gave an indignant snort. "I got better."

"I'm sorry. It was really safe though. You know I'd never put Llacheu in danger."

Gwen softened, then hugged him. "I know. It's just that you know how difficult it was to have Llacheu, we're just overly protective of him. Maybe, maybe, an occasional dragon ride wouldn't hurt."

"It wouldn't. I'd make sure it wouldn't." Merlin smiled, starting to plan the next ride. Llacheu would love to see the Borin Mountains.


	14. Together

The ceiling fan whirls above them and despite the noise, it does nothing to dispel the sticky summer heat. Arthur grumbles again about the poor facilities and Merlin simply sighs. He's a broken record and Merlin no longer even bothers to respond. It doesn't matter anyway because they've been - what would you call them? Friends? Brothers? - for so long that they can communicate without talking. But they still talk because what else was there to do? Gwen shuffles in with fruits. She's always bringing in fruits - good for their health she would say but Morgana would counter with the fact that at this point of their lives, it hardly makes a difference. In her chair, Morgana reads the papers, her head straining towards the fine print as she rants against the injustices in the world. He takes her hand and squeezes it but it only encourages her to get louder. At least he thinks she is getting louder because Gwen is wincing and shaking her head.

They've changed. And yet they haven't.

Gwen rubs Arthur's arm tenderly and he stops his complaints to smile at her. Merlin looks up at Morgana, still full of fire and brimstone, even if her hand shakes after holding up the papers for too long. She stops long enough to catch his eye and he still feels that spark he did all those years ago. He knows she feels it too when her cheeks colour and she goes back to her papers.

Albion Holdings might have folded, led to its doom by the young upstart Mordred. But as they sit together, once the team no one would imagine failing, in the not-so-silent comfort, it's not regret that fills them but peace, friendship and a lot of love.


	15. T minus one year

"A year?"

Gwen sighed and stretched, her feet bumping against his hip. "That's what Morgana suggested. Detox."

"Detox?"

"Yeah, cleanse myself after that horrid relationship. One whole year of being on my own."

"A year is a long time." Instinctively, he grabbed her feet and pulled her legs across his lap. She wriggled her toes, a hint that he should massage her feet. He duly obeyed. In response, she sighed and seemed to sink further into the sofa. "I wouldn't go to Morgana for love advice really. Look at her record. Now if you want to know how to be incredibly annoying, she's just the person to ask."

That got a chuckle out of Gwen. "Should I ask you for love advice then, Mr Playboy of the Year?"

"Shut up. It was a silly poll in a silly magazine." Still, he could feel his cheeks burning. Just because he happened to have a different date to each charity event didn't mean he was a playboy. He was just waiting for the right person. Specifically, the completely oblivious person sprawled on his sofa right now. "One year is a long time," he repeated.

"Not so long. Just once around the sun," she murmured as her eyes fluttered shut. Obviously the foot massage was taking effect. "A year staying single. Can't be that hard. It'll be good for my soul."

"No." Inwardly, Arthur sighed. One more year of waiting.

"What do you know anyway? I don't think you've ever been single before."

"That's it. You know very well I've been single forever." He launched himself at her, tickling her sides. Her limbs flailing, she squealed with laughter before finally conceding that she was a liar.

T minus 9 months

"You know what I miss most? The sex."

"Not his luscious hair?" Arthur stabbed at the tandoori prawn and stuffed it in his mouth, trying to temper the response his body had to the sudden image of Gwen naked in the throes of sex.

She kicked him under the table. "No. And I didn't date him for two years because of his hair. One would think you were jealous of his hair."

"Oh I'm jealous of him but not because of his hair," he muttered between chewing.

"I promised myself I would remain single but that doesn't mean no sex right?" Reaching over, she grabbed a prawn off his plate. He smacked her hand but she escaped with the prawn anyway.

"If you wanted prawns, why did you order chicken? But to answer your question, I guess not. Better let the poor soul whose body you're using know upfront then."

She flicked her straw at him. "What kind of person do you think I am? I'm not about to lead anyone on."

"Mmm. Have anyone in mind?" Arthur wasn't sure why he persisted in torturing himself like that. But then again, two years of watching her with Lance was very good training.

"No. Not really. I mean there's Gwaine I guess. He's been flirting a lot -"

"Gwaine flirts with lamp posts, Gwen. Although I guess if you wanted sex with no commitments - no other prospects huh?" He hoped he kept the glee out of his voice. Gwaine had been flirting with Gwen the moment he laid eyes on her. And if she hadn't shown interest then, he doubted she would now.

She fell silent and stared at her plate. Dread filled him. Was she thinking of that lout Lance again? Then he noticed a slight blush on her face. She wouldn't be blushing if she was hurting. "Are you imagining sex with Gwaine?"

"Uh, no. No." She glanced up at him then looked away quickly. Now, his curiosity was piqued.

"So what's making you blush?" He continued when she kept shoving chicken into her mouth. "Look you tell me everything. We're sitting here discussing your lack of sex. I'll give you my last prawn."

"Arthur."

"Give it up." To encourage her, he dangled his prawn in front of her.

She sighed and refused to meet his eyes. "Iwasthinkingaboutsexwithyou."

T minus 7 months

She moaned in his mouth as he slid into her. Like every single time they did this, it was this moment of perfection. The orgasms were wonderful of course, but this moment, just when he was joined with her was the moment he treasured the most. She clenched around him as she came, muttering his name like a prayer and he didn't last much longer.

The sex was everything he fantasised about and more.

"Oh it's so late," she groaned as she looked at her mobile. "This is all your fault." The smack against his chest was weak and followed by a guilty giggle in the hollow of his throat.

"I wasn't the one who decided to pop over after movie night with the girls," yawned Arthur. "Stay the night. I've got a spare toothbrush I'm sure."

"We agreed -"

"You can stay in the spare bedroom." The reminder that this was purely about satisfying their sexual needs and nothing more stabbed at him. He still had the list of rules she insisted on in the drawer next to his bed. No sleeping over was one of the top ones. "Not like you haven't before."

"I guess."

"I'll drop you off at work tomorrow. You won't even have to suffer public transport," he said teasingly, wondering why, again, he continually prolonged his own suffering in this manner.

"Oh alright. You've persuaded me."

Gwen was like a little girl, the way she tucked herself snugly under her blanket and wriggled to get comfortable. From the door, he flipped the light switch for her, smiling as he lingered a little. When her year was over, he'll tell her how much he loved her and maybe, something would work out.

T minus 5 months

"You are being ridiculous!" Gwen tossed her evening bag onto the table, put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "How dare you get upset just because I was dancing with Percy?"

"I wouldn't if you were just dancing with him. His hands were all over you." Her neighbours could probably hear them shouting but he really didn't care. All he could think of was how close she had been pressed to Percival, how his hands were smoothing up her bare back and how she had tossed her head back and laughed.

"So what? I can flirt with whoever I want. And if I want to sleep with Percival, I will! Just because we are having sex doesn't give you the right to act this way. It's rule number -"

"5. I know Gwen." Suddenly, all the anger and the jealousy in him dissolved into pain. Over the past few years, watching Lance with her had brought all manner of heartbreak, but nothing like this. Nothing like the pain of realising that she would never love him the way he loved her. He had always held out hope but her words woke him up.

"We are just -" The anger seemed to have left her too, replaced by uncertainty.

"I know Gwen. We are just sex buddies. I don't think that's working out too well actually."

"What -"

He had to leave before he started begging her. She wanted a year without commitments, without a relationship. "I have to go." Grabbing his jacket, he left.

The next day, he volunteered to oversee a project in Asia. After all, rule 9 stated either of them could stop it whenever they wanted.

T plus 7 months

"Hey!"

He saw Gwen waving at the arrival hall and he smiled. Of course she would pick him up even though she didn't have a car and he explicitly told Merlin to pick him up.

"Hey yourself!" He wrapped her in a hug, the joy of seeing her after so long overwhelming him. It took a while but they got over the slight awkwardness that arose after his departure and within months, they were chatting on the phone every other day.

"I missed you so much," she muttered into his neck as she clung to him. "Don't do this again ok? Leave for a whole year."

"I visited. You visited too," he pointed out, despite the surge of happiness in him at her admission. "Also, I believe you once said a year is not so long, just once around the sun."

"I know, but it's not the same. Oh, I borrowed your car by the way."

He frowned. "The Porsche?"

She nodded, excitement dancing in her eyes.

"I don't let you drive it when I'm around."

"I know." She dug into her pocket and dangled the keys in front of him. "So I asked Merlin when you weren't around. He was most agreeable."

Arthur shook his head. "You, Guinevere, are a terrible person."

Laughing, she darted away, leaving him to follow. Love for her swelled in his heart again. The year in Hong Kong was a much needed one. Away from Gwen, he was able to reign in his emotions, re-establish his friendship with her and come to terms with the fact that they would never be anything more than friends.

Admittedly, despite his reservations, her driving was good and she easily drove him and his Porsche safely home.

"Thanks. When I'm settled, lets do dinner." He opened the passenger door but stopped when he noticed she wasn't moving. "What is it?"

"It's been over a year since my decision to detox."

His heart clenched. "New boyfriend?"

"Sort of." So much for coming to terms with things, he sighed. She looked at him nervously. Did she think he was going to kick up a fuss?

"Great. Can't wait -"

"He's not my boyfriend yet. I was hoping that -"

"I'm not playing matchmaker Guinevere."

"No. I, well, I think I'm really in love with him."

"Gwen, I'm tired. It's been a long -"

"I think he loves me and -"

Frustration boiling in him, he snapped, "then tell him alright?"

She gulped and guilt swamped him. Reaching out his hand, he cupped her cheek. "If he isn't a fool, then he'll love you too."

"I hope you're not a fool then."

T plus 7 months, 0 days, 1 hour and 28 minutes

She trailed kisses down his chest, his thighs and lower, before looking up at him through her lashes. "I thought you were tired?"

One hand stretched out to smooth her hair as he answered lazily. "Yes but I'm not doing the work am I?"

"I guess not," she laughed before taking him into her mouth.


	16. Sword in the Lake

_Prompt: Gwen visits Avalon_

"Here?" She urges her horse to stop and looks at Merlin for confirmation. His face is tight and his eyes dull. That is confirmation enough. She looks around her. It's a beautiful spot, a gorgeous lake lined with luscious trees. "Avalon," she whispers. The place where her husband was laid to rest.

Percival helps her dismount and she nods in thanks. Although Leon has been around longer, it is Percival she chooses to be her knight. She appreciates his quiet nature. Merlin has dismounted as well and is staring out into the lake. Part of her wants to be angry that she was not there when Arthur took his last breath, that she was not there when he was laid to rest yet another part of her has always known that the bond between Arthur and Merlin was something deeper, maybe even magical.

As if reading her thoughts, Merlin turns to her. "I'm sorry. You should have been here."

"I was needed in Camelot," she says. In some ways, she needs Camelot as much as Camelot needs her. Without Camelot, it would have been easy to let the despair of losing everyone she ever loved take over.

Merlin reaches out a hand. "Come, I'll show you where he is. He will be happy to see you."

She smiles at his words and takes him hand, wondering why it is Merlin always speaks as if Arthur is still around, as if he is merely asleep and they just have to wait for him to wake. Slowly, they wade into the shallows and Merlin points to her the small island. She nods, lets go of his hand and walks towards it until she can go no furthur. The water seeps into her dress but she doesn't feel it.

"Arthur," she whispers. "I love you Arthur and I hope, wherever you are now, you have found peace. You trusted me with Camelot and I know how much you loved her. I won't let you down." Tears are streaming down her face and she swipes at them. At first, she thinks the shimmer in the water is her tears but then she sees something in it.

A sword. Not any sword but Arthur's sword.

She reaches to touch it but it disappears the moment she breaks the surface of the water. She remains there a while more, her eyes closed as she remembers Arthur. She can almost feel him beside her, laughing about Merlin's antics, grumbling about paperwork, trying to get her to bed earlier.

Later, as they ride home, she tells Merlin what she saw.

"They say he will rise again when Albion needs him most," he says quietly. "Perhaps, he felt you needed to know he was really there."

She smiles at that.


	17. Naked

_Prompt: Arthur and Gwen wake up one morning to find themselves in bed together, wearing either very little or no clothes. _

The bed is softer than she remembers. She stretches out an arm. It's bigger too. This must be a dream. It's one of the better dreams she's had. She turns, then bumps into a warm, solid wall. That's a bit too realistic for a dream and she opens her eyes.

She's not dreaming. Instead, she is in Arthur's bed and he's naked. Naked and fast asleep. Despite knowing better, she gives in to her curiosity and reaches over to touch him. She drags her finger along the line of his spine, loving the feel of his bare skin under her finger. Then, amazed at her boldness, she leans over to kiss his bare shoulder. He mumbles something but doesn't wake.

Shifting a little, the blanket falls from her and only then, she realises that she's naked too. Her fascination with Arthur immediately turns to mortification and she yanks the blanket up. Only the blanket is the same one Arthur is using and he wakes at the movement.

Turning around, he blinks sleepily at her, a tender smile spreading on his face.

"Guinevere," he murmurs and reaches for her. Then he jerks away. "Guinevere! Why are you here?"

Clutching the blanket to her, she shook her head. "I'm as clueless as you!"

"Merlin!" Arthur hollers. He turns back to her, a blush on his cheeks. "It must be his fault." His eyes flicker from her face to the blanket that preserves her modesty, then quickly back up to her face again. The atmosphere in the room shifts and suddenly, Gwen is acutely aware of the two of them in bed together, naked. And she wants to touch him again.

Maybe it's because the whole thing seems to surreal but she does. And then Arthur has pulled her flush against him, no protective blanket between them, and kissing her. She yields, revelling in how good it feels.

The door slams open, Merlin rushes in then stops, staring.

"Merlin!" Arthur yells again. "Are you responsible for this?"

Eyes focused on the floor, Merlin rubs the back of his neck. "Maybe. I was trying out some making wishes come true spells." He glances up, a cheeky grin on his face. "Looks like the two of you have similar wishes."

"Never," Arthur snaps, "use us as your subjects for your silly spells!"

"It worked though!"

"Shut up and get out."


	18. Speed Dating

"And umm, what do you do in your free time .. ah .. Gwaine?" Gwen glanced at her card, making sure she got his name right. Hopefully this was a nightmare and she would wake up in an hour or so in her new, quite expensive bed. Unfortunately, she had tried pinching herself earlier when Merlin was explaining the rules of speed dating but all it served to do was leave a slight bruise on her upper arm.

* * *

"I need more females! And you're single now so you should take the opportunity to meet more men!"

Maybe if she looked at the floor, she wouldn't see Merlin's puppy dog eyes and she wouldn't give in like she always did the last two million times he asked for a favour.

"Come on. Please? It'll be good publicity for my cafe." Gwen could hear that little whine he often used creeping into his voice. He was probably making that squishy face he did whenever he tried to sucker her into carrying out his usually not-so-great-for-her ideas.

"It'll make Lance jealous?"

She raised her eyes. "Fine. I'll go."

* * *

" … erotic dance."

"Excuse me?" She snapped out of staring at Gwaine's neck and looked confusedly at him. Did he just tell her, someone he just met not 10 seconds ago, that he did erotic dance?

Gwaine grinned at her as he flipped his hair back. "You asked what I do in my free time. I do erotic dance. Want me to show you some moves?"

"No, it's fine. I'm sure you're very good …" Oh god. Why was she here? If Gwaine even attempted to stand up, she'll run. Who cared about Merlin anyway?

"I'm wonderful. I think we'd make great partners actually. You look like a woman with rhythm." There was that grin again followed by another hair flip. This time, he covered her hand with his, a gleam of mischief in his eyes.

And then he winked at her.

Unable to help herself, she laughed as she slowly extracted her hand from his grip. "Are you planning to try this line with the rest of the girls?"

"You don't think it'll work?"

The chime went, signalling it was time for the men to move on.

Grabbing her hand again, Gwaine pressed a kiss to it before rising and bowing dramatically. "I'll see you around princess."

Gwen slumped back into her seat as she surreptitiously watched Gwaine walk away. There was no way she would admit that she found him a little attractive. If Merlin thought she was going to hook up with someone at a speed dating event, he could think again. The last thing she needed was to have Merlin forever remind her about how it was his silly little event that she found someone. Plus, there was always a chance that she and Lancelot would get back together again.

The scrapping of the chair across the floor snapped Gwen out of her thoughts. The man opposite her scowled as he flung himself onto the chair, stretching out his long legs. They bumped into hers and she felt a shiver travel up her legs. Crossing his arms, he slouched in the chair and looked silently at her. At least that was where she thought he was looking, since he kept his dark shades on despite being indoors. Clearly he was not going to start the conversation.

"Right, so you must be …" Gwen fished out the crumpled card she had and squinted at the name.

"Arthur. Arthur Pendragon," the man bit out in annoyance, "and I'm just here because Merlin begged so don't get any funny ideas about me or my money."

When Merlin has told her that he had become "almost friends" with Arthur Pendragon, heir to the huge Pendragon fortune, she had laughed and thought nothing of it, convinced he was exaggerating the truth. Well, it certainly seemed that they had become friends although why Merlin wanted to befriend such an arrogant, selfish prat like him mystified her.

Apparently, she said that aloud, something she realised when she heard Arthur gasp in response. She groaned and covered her face. Great. Now she was going to have to grovel at his feet before he punished her through Merlin or …

"Are you laughing?" She peered at him. He certainly looked like he was laughing. Not out loud but he seemed amused by her statement.

He took off his shades and smiled at her. "You're the first person who's not my sister or Merlin to say that to me."

"And this amuses you?"

"It's different. I'm quite used to having girls smiling at me and gushing over my positive attributes, like erm, Vivian, I think that was her name, was earlier."

"What positive attributes? From what I've read, you're pretty much like every rich, irresponsible, selfish, shallow playboy ..." Clasping her hands over her wayward mouth, Gwen stared at Arthur in horror. What on earth had gotten into her? She wasn't usually like this. People knew her as kind and gentle, not snarky and outright rude.

The smile had faded from his face and he raised his eyebrows at her. For a brief moment, she thought she saw hurt flash in his eyes but he slid his shades on before she could be sure. "And you think I'm nothing but a bunch of tabloid stories sewn together?"

"No, no. I'm sorry. I don't know you and I have no right to have said all those things to you. I don't know what came over me and if Merlin likes you, you really can't be that bad …"

He sat silently watching her as she blabbered out a completely incoherent and likely inadequate apology. Then he touched her hand. And while Gwaine's touch had been warm, Arthur's touch caused quite a different reaction. She found herself unable to remember what she wanted to say and all she seemed capable of doing was to stare at his face, at the line of his jaw and the curl of his blond hair at his neck. It took all the willpower she had not to withdraw her hand. When his mouth softened into a smile, she thought she felt her heart jump, which was really a completely ridiculous reaction.

And then the chime sounded.

Arthur watched as she swallowed in response to his smile and he felt something tingle in his chest. This was insane. He was only here because Merlin had begged him to and after how Merlin had helped him deal with his father's increasing instability, he thought it was only fair that he graced Merlin's little event. Of course the moment it started, he knew why it was a bad idea - the first two girls had gone positively mad when they realised who he was, fawning over him and praising him to high heaven. And while he generally like being praised, it was annoying when it was so blatantly false. So his curiosity was piqued when the dark-haired girl opposite him had started by criticising him, except that it was obvious that she actually meant what she said, which made this whole situation worse because why then was he enchanted by her swallowing, the feel of her small hand under his and the curls that tumbled down her shoulders?

"Hey Arthur, you need to move," hollered Merlin from across the room.

Sighing, he stood up and nodded curtly to the girl. Damn. He hadn't even got her name and he had tossed the little card Merlin pressed into his hand at the beginning of the event. The man beside him practically shoved him from the table to take his place and Arthur shot him a dirty look. This was all Merlin's fault.

The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur for him. He remembered nodding and smiling to various girls and he thought he even managed to make sensible conversation despite trying to keep that girl in his sight throughout the event. She certainly seemed a lot friendlier with the other men, especially his business partner Leon. The two of them were laughing and she was touching him. Definitely she wasn't criticizing Leon for being well-off, he fumed to himself.

The last chime sounded and finally the whole thing was over. Torn between wanting to stay and pepper Merlin with questions about that girl and playing it cool and leaving, Arthur hovered at the exit of the cafe. In the end, the decision was taken out of his hand when his father called, demanding that he return to the office. Glancing once more at the dark-haired girl who was helping Merlin clean up, he shook his head at the insanity this whole event was and left.


	19. All Tied Up

"Why is she here?" hissed Arthur as he eyed the girl laughing over a flower with Merlin. He glared accusingly at Elyan. Why couldn't he leave his annoying sister at home? She was constantly trying to boss him around.

"Dad made me bring her. Said he was too busy too keep an eye on her. He wouldn't let me come without her"

"Oh fine. Let's play Knights. She can be the princess or something captured by some great monster and we'll go save her!"

"I'm going to be Sir Gwaine the Wonderful!" Gwaine grinned as he picked up his wooden sword and swung it around, "Greatest knight of all the land, handsome, clever, wonderful and all the girls would love me."

"Ha! You may be handsome and clever but I am clearly the best fighter!" crowed Arthur, knocking Gwaine's sword out of his hand easily.

As the other boys started to scuffle over who really was the greatest knight, Elyan tentatively approached his sister. He wasn't sure how she would react to her role in the game. The last time he said something about her not being able to look after herself, she had smacked him in the head.

"What are we playing? Can I be a knight too? I can be Sir Guinevere. Look I even brought my own sword. Dad made it for me."

"Girls can't be knights!" scoffed Elyan. He could not understand why Gwen always had to be so difficult. Couldn't she understand that girls were different from boys?

Before Elyan could tell Gwen what she was supposed to do in the game, Arthur was hollering for his "knights". Eagerly, Gwen scampered over, her tiny wooden sword gripped tightly in her hand.

Glancing at Gwen, Arthur grumbled, "Hey! You're supposed to be the princess. Go sit somewhere and we'll come save you." For good measure, he gave her a light shove.

"No! I want to be a knight. Merlin can be the princess. He hates fighting anyway."

"You're a girl! Girls can't be knights! My dad says so!"

"Why not?"

"Because girls are weak and because they all want to be princesses!" Arthur couldn't believe he had to explain such obvious things to Gwen. She really was quite annoying.

Waving her sword dangerously in front of Arthur, Gwen walked up to him. "You might be a prince but I don't have to listen to you. I want to be a knight. I'm sure the others are fine with me being a knight." She looked around at the other children - Gwaine, Lancelot, Elyan, Percival and Merlin, daring them to contradict her.

Lancelot cleared his throat. "I'm sure Gwen would make a fantastic knight. It'll still be fun."

"Of course you'd say that! You're practically in love with Gwen," muttered Arthur as he glared unhappily at Gwen. When none of the other boys made any move to support Arthur's stance, he grumbled under his breath. "Fine. Whatever. She can be a knight."

"Yay!" Gwen bounced gleefully, "We need someone to rescue!" Grinning slyly, she pointed her sword at Arthur.

"What me? I just let you be a knight!"

Twenty minutes later, Arthur found himself tied to a tree in the middle of the forest awaiting rescue. Elyan stood beside him, supposedly guarding him.

"Stop laughing!"

Elyan chortled, "I'm sorry Sire but I can't believe Gwen tackled you and tied you up!"

"She didn't tackle me! I let her. And you all just stood around and watched." Arthur swore that very moment he would never let any girl tie him up again. It was far too humiliating.

* * *

Gwen experimentally swings Excalibur as she takes in the sight in front of her.

"Well, aren't you going to rescue me Sir Guinevere?" the figure pulls at the ropes binding him, mild amusement in his voice.

A slow smile spreads across Gwen's face as she moves slightly towards the bed, sword in hand. She allows her gaze to move across the figure, taking in the hard lines and smooth skin. Her voice is low and heavy with passion. "I don't know. I quite like you like this."

"Have you not fought dragons and monsters to rescue me from the bloodthirsty bandit who snatched me?"

Her smile widens and she sits herself at the edge of the bed, within touching distance of the captive. Clad in his sleep linen with ruffled hair, he looks almost like an angel, except for the smirk across his face. For a kidnapped prince, he appears way too pleased with his situation.

Placing the sword down carefully, Gwen pulls at the ties of her dress.

"What will you give me to rescue you Sire?" The ties come loose and for a moment the captive is distracted.

"Hmm …." She can feel his eyes caress her skin. "I think I could make my rescue well worth it."

Laughing, she allows her bodice to fall from her as she bends to pick up Excalibur. Steadily, she runs the blade lightly along his chest before she uses it to shift his shirt up. She can see him tremble under the touch of the blade and inexplicably, it pleases her.

"Gwen …" he groans out.

"That's Sir Guinevere for you," she barely gets it out before she giggles, "and I believe you are at my mercy now."

WIth his hands bound to the bed posts, she realises she is unable to remove his shirt. Instead she turns her attention to his breeches. The sword is getting heavy in her hands and if she were honest, she much preferred to touch him with her own hands. Letting the sword drop to the floor, Gwen starts to undo the ties of his breeches. As her fingers fumbles against his waist, she can hear his breathing speed up.

"I've never been rescued this way before," he mutters, his hips jerking every time her hand brushes, accidentally of course, across his groin.

"I don't think you are in any position to complain." Her hands rest lightly on his hardness as she addresses him.

His body strains towards her. "Why don't you let me give you a little of your reward now?"

She has finally undone his breeches and tugs it down his legs. His breathing is harsher now and it takes all her self-control to not jump on him. Her fingers linger on his thighs, careful not to touch his length.

"Guinevere …" he grits out, his eyes pleading.

The way her names rolls off his tongue shatters what little control she has and she leans over and brushes a kiss across his lips. At least that was the intention. He opens his mouth and with the ease of having done this a million times, she slipped her tongue in.

Everything shifts then. There's an urgency in the air as Gwen presses herself against him, tilting her head as he nibbles and bites against her throat. She is lying on top of him, her dress crumpled at her waist, her hips nestled between his legs. She wriggles a little, enjoying the hardness against her thigh. Someone moans and someone gasps. Perhaps it was both of them.

"Let me touch you." It's almost an order and she almost complies. But it breaks the frantic atmosphere and Gwen pulls away instead.

"The way I see it, I'm in charge right now." Her steady voice bellies the fire burning in her and she is making the effort to slow things down. It is not often that she has the King of Camelot tied to her bed and she wants it to last.

Arthur simply growls in response as he lifts himself off the bed as much as his binds would allow. His muscles flexes, highlighted by the soft glow of candles and Gwen feels her heart jump, silly because it is not the first time she's seen him naked. The heat between her legs swells and unconsciously, she licks her lips.

He smiles at that gesture and his eyes, warm in the darkness, beckons her. She sheds what clothing is left and settles down beside him. Reaching out, she draws circles on his chest before moving lower to cup him gently.

"Is this for me?" she whispers hotly into his ear, enjoying the way it throbs in her small hands. She aches too and suddenly, all this teasing is too much and she needs him. She needs him in her. Slowly, she shifts so she's on top of him, hovering.

"Gwen …" he moans again as she lowers herself slowing onto him, feeling his length filling her. Lifting his head, he attempts to capture her nipple in his mouth but ends up grasping at air. His movements attract Gwen's attention and she willingly offers her breast to him. The feel of his teeth pulling and tugging at her only serves to heighten the sensations and soon she's riding him hard. Her head falls, buried in the crook of his neck as she moves faster and faster.

She knows she's mumbling nonsense now. He's chanting her name. The moment before she crashes is her favourite and she tries to prolong it by slowing down but it's futile. Sensations overwhelm her and she collapses onto Arthur.

"My binds …" he rasps in her ear and she eases herself away to untie him. Fumbling with shaking hands, she gives up and uses Excalibur to cut through the ropes. The moment Arthur is freed, he flips her over and thrusts back into her. His hands squeeze her breasts and he devours her lips. Slowly, he brings one hand down between them and rubs her clit.

Heat flares up in her again and she's moving urgently against him, her hands tangled in his hair. She feels him jerk against her and she knows he's coming and when his fingers presses down on her, she groans his name and shudders as well.

It takes a while before he withdraws and scoops her into his arms.  
"Mmmm …" Her eyelids are heavy and she snuggles into him.

"I can't believe you tied me up while I was asleep."

"Are you saying you didn't enjoy being tied up by me?"

"No. It's just that I think you've always wanted to tie me up haven't you?"

"Oh?"

"Oh yes. I still remember that little girl who never knew her place. She tackled me once and tied me to a tree. Obviously you had a thing for me even …"

His words are muffled when she covers his lips with her own.

"Shut up Arthur."


	20. Liars, Cheats & Runaways

"There are only three kinds of men in the world," Gwen slurred, having drunk one too many glasses of wine, "Liars, cheats and runaways. My feet are cold." She ended on a whine and immediately Arthur lifted her feet onto his lap and rubbed them. She purred with satisfaction, sending an arrow of desire shooting through him. "Mmm, this is good."

"Let me guess. Gwaine's the liar, Lance the cheat and Elyan the runaway."

She giggled, then hiccuped. "Yup."

"And which one upset you today?" He asked as his hands ran up her ankle and he gazed down at her. His best friend and the girl he'd been in love with for the past two years. Inwardly he sighed. Had it been anyone else, he'd have long made a move but this was Gwen and he was petrified that any hint of his feelings would destroy a friendship he treasured far too much.

"Lance."

Arthur gritted his teeth, the image of Gwen's devastated expression that night still haunted him, but said nothing.

"He called me again. Wants to try again. Ow! Arthur! You're pressing too hard!"

"Sorry. I hope you told him no."

When she didn't answer, anger curled in him. Lance had been a complete ass to Guinevere and she was thinking of getting back together with him? "I didn't actually say anything." She shrugged but he could see the anguish in her eyes.

"Then you went drinking?"

She nodded and for a moment, she seemed just like a little girl. "I don't really want him back," she sighed after a while, "I guess I'm going to have to tell him no."

"Great."

"Where do you think I can find a man who isn't a liar, a cheat or a runaway who loves me?" Gwen asked absently, her eyes staring at the ceiling.

Arthur wasn't sure what possessed him. Maybe it was the idea that she had almost gone back to Lancelot. Maybe it was the feel of her soft skin under his fingers. "I'm not a liar, a cheat or a runaway." His voice was soft but he knew she heard.

"You forgot the bit about loving me."

He looked at her, his hands stopped moving. "No I didn't."

"Arthur -" He could feel the rejection coming and regret flooded him. He should never have opened his mouth.

"It's fine. Pretend I didn't say anything. Maybe -"

"Arthur." Her soft, gentle voice cocooned him and he gazed at her. When she said nothing, disappointment rose in him. But then, she'd scrambled up from the sofa and was kneeling next to him, so close he could feel her breath puffing against his cheek. "Arthur," she breathed again.

He turned his head to her.

She kissed him.


	21. Merlin's Handy Investigation Guide

**Step 1: Unearth a crisis (If there is none, create one)**

"Should you really be playing with those things?" Gwen looked suspiciously at the spread of knick knacks on her table. Merlin was poking and prodding at them with far too much enthusiasm for Gwen's comfort. "Should you really be playing with those things in my house?"

"Isn't it fascinating what you can find hidden in the dungeons? Arthur doesn't even know half these things exist. Ooh! Look at this little bauble - so shiny." Ignoring Gwen's expression of concern, he peered at the locket he grasped in his hands. "There are some words here … ugh … I can't read them. Pass me a cloth Gwen."

"No. Merlin maybe you should be a little more careful?" Gwen edged closer to her door. This way, she could easily make a break for it should something explode or come to life.

Seemingly unperturbed by Gwen's lack of cooperation, Merlin scrubbed the locket on his sleeve and continued staring at it.

Then a bright beam of light shot from it, temporarily blinding Gwen.

"What did you do?"

"Umm, nothing I think." Merlin looked around the small house. Shrugging his shoulders, he grinned widely and said, "Well, everything looks fine. Guess nothing went wrong. I should go now."

Somehow Gwen was not comforted by his words.

"Hey!" She yelled at Merlin as he opened the door, "take your things with you!"

**Step 2: Spy to ascertain presence of crisis**

Arthur just flickered in front of her. She blinked. Perhaps she was still affected by the light from yesterday.

His left arm flickered again.

"Gwen? Are you listening to me?"

"Are you feeling alright Arthur?" She wondered if she touched his left arm, would her hand pass through?

Arthur frowned at her. "I am. In fact, I've never felt better, as I was saying just now. For some reason, I'm feeling a lot lighter!"

"Uh … great." It looked like his left index finger had disappeared. "Look, umm … I need to go do some castle stuff. You should stay in your room. You don't look so good." Gwen pressed a kiss against his cheek and scuttled off. She had to find Merlin. What on earth was going on?

Perhaps asking Merlin for help wasn't the best idea. For some reason, she was now hiding behind the curtains in Arthur's chambers.

"Why are we here?"

"Because the two of us can't fit into the closet?"

She stepped on Merlin's foot. "Ow! Ok ok. We need to observe Arthur! See if he's still flickering and see if there are any strange things afoot."

"Why can't we observe him in public?"

"Erm … well … because this is how it's done. Hush! He's here!"

Arthur entered his room, pulling off his shirt as he moved towards his bed. Gwen gulped and looked away. It was just wrong to stare at Arthur with Merlin next to her.

"Look! He has no left hand!" Merlin poked her side and involuntarily she yelped.

"Who's there?" Arthur grabbed his sword and scanned his room. Seeing that they were going to be found anyway, Gwen stepped out from the curtains. "Gwen! Well, why are you here at this time?" His voice dropped to a soft whisper.

"Er … I can explain that!" Merlin popped out as well.

"Merlin! What is this?"

"A surprise party?"

"Merlin …" Pointing his sword at Merlin, Arthur advanced menacingly.

"Arthur, did you notice your hand is missing?" Gwen quickly interrupted them.

"What?!" And it seemed for the first time, Arthur noticed that his left arm appeared to end at his wrist.

Merlin smiled a little sheepishly, "I think you might be disappearing."

**Step 3: Consult Gaius and the library**

Gaius raised an eyebrow as he listened to Merlin describe how Arthur seemed to be slowly disappearing.

"He's not feeling any pain or discomfort but right now, you can't see his left arm and his left ear. They're still there though because you can feel them."

"What have you done now?"

Merlin frowned. "Nothing!"

"Are you sure?" Gaius eyed Merlin suspiciously, with good reason Gwen decided. Seeing that Merlin was either reluctant to confess or was unable to put two and two together, Gwen quickly mentioned the incident with the locket.

"Then you should find out what kind of locket it was shouldn't you? I assume you still have it?"

As they trudged to the library, Merlin kept grumbling about how disloyal Gwen was. In response, Gwen rolled her eyes and allowed Merlin to complain in peace.

Geoffrey sat guard in the front of the library, looking intently at one of the many dusty tomes on his table.

"You distract him, I'll do the research!" whispered Merlin, shoving Gwen towards Geoffrey as he darted behind a pillar.

"Hi! I was wondering about my father's family and I hear you're the man to ask," Gwen flashed what she hoped was her most charming smile.

Geoffrey loved genealogy and prided himself on his broad knowledge in the area, something Gwen discovered after she spent almost an hour listening to him explain to her that Kathleen Arbour was not really her great-great-great grandmother despite records. From the corner of her eye, she saw a pleased Merlin dart out from the shelves. Bidding a somewhat shocked Geoffrey thank you and good bye, she wandered off, casually meeting up with Merlin further down the corridors.

**Step 4: Attempt solution and make things worse**

"Yuck! Are you trying to kill me?"

"Well, the book in the library said this potion would work."

Merlin and Gwen stood staring at half a Arthur wondering how long the potion would take to cure him.

Five minutes later, it was clear that instead of making him visible, the potion had managed to speed up the process. In fact the only part of Arthur that was visible were his feet and even then they were flickering. Unfortunately, Arthur not being visible didn't stop him from being heard and he made his unhappiness with Merlin's incompetence loud and clear.

"Guess that wasn't the solution," muttered Merlin disappointingly.

"Did you read the instructions correctly?" Gwen asked, trying to keep the alarm out of her voice. She couldn't see Arthur's feet at all now and only his grumbling gave her a clue of where he was.

"I think so! Damn."

"We need to go back and check the book again," she tugged at Merlin.

"No. I have a better idea."

**Step 5: Visit the Great Dragon**

Gwen had never been face to face with a dragon before and she discovered, to her great relief, that it wasn't quite as scary as she thought it would be. The dragon looked familiar and she thought it was the one which had tried to destroy Camelot from before but Merlin had been quite adamant that it wasn't. She supposed all dragons tended to look the same.

There was quite a bit of shouting and stubbornness on Merlin's side before the dragon gave up the secret of how to break the curse. Apparently Merlin could speak Dragon. She wondered what other secrets he was keeping.

"Why didn't we just ask him from the beginning? He seems to know everything."

"Because that's not how it works!"

**Step 6: Save the day without reward**

"You're telling me that I have to wear the locket around my neck and then let you break it by stabbing it with the fang of a snake?"

"That sounds about right!" Merlin chirped as he bounced the snake's fang in his hand.

"What if you kill me?"

"Would you rather be invisible forever?"

"No. But I would also like to be alive!"

"Gwen has a healing potion so if anything happens to you, she'll give it to you and all will be fine."

"Really?" Gwen smiled as reassuringly as she could in the direction she thought Arthur was. "Fine, let's do it. Soon there will be nothing left of me."

Gwen bit her lip as she watched Merlin lift the snake fang. With a swiftness she had never seen from Merlin before, he brought the fang down towards the locket which she assumed was lying on Arthur's neck.

She flinched and shut her eyes. But just before she did so, she thought she saw Merlin's eyes glow. Before she could wonder more about it, Arthur materialised in front of her. Delighted to see him whole and unharmed, she flung herself at him.

Merlin smiled at them, felt a little sorry for himself and left the room, giving them their privacy.

**Step 7: Have dinner with Gaius**

"I hope you learnt your lesson," Gaius lectured as he passed Merlin a plate with something unidentifiable, "about playing around with things you know nothing about."

"Mmm," Merlin said with his mouth full, "this is better than it looks."

"Don't forget. After you spent the whole day solving that problem you created, you still haven't done your chores." With that, Gaius grinned and left the room.


	22. Memories

_Prompt: First times_

Arthur took her palm, turned it over and started to trace random patterns on it. She laughed but when she tried to pull away, he refused to let go, instead tugging her so she fell against him. It was a rare night that neither of them had duties to attend to and both their daughters were visiting Merlin and Mithian in Nemeth.

"First kiss?"

Gwen grinned. "You first."

"You." He nuzzled her hair.

"Liar," she laughed, pushing away his wandering hands. "I believe Merlin mentioned someone called Sophia and there was that Princess who enchanted you."

Arthur rolled his eyes, then maneuvered her so that she was seated on his lap. "You mean the Sophia who tried to kill me? I don't think that counts. Your turn."

"Skip," she said laughingly. "Ask me something else."

"It was Lancelot wasn't it?" Arthur scowled but it was hard to remain jealous of a dead man. "First love letter."

A blush formed on her cheeks. "You."

"Me?" Arthur frowned, slightly embarrassed that he couldn't remember this letter he wrote.

"You gave it to me with my first rose." Her fingers trailed up his chest, before finally settling against a large scar that crossed the upper half of his chest. Absently, she rubbed it, her voice taking on a dreamy quality. "You'd just ensured peace among the 5 kingdoms. I returned home, pushed open my door and on the table in front of me was a single rose and your note. And you, hiding in the shadows."

"Ah." He remembered now - waiting, his heart pounding so loudly it was all he could hear, his hands cold and clammy. And when the door finally slowly swung open, his heart had stopped. "You broke my heart that day. My first heartbreak."

Her breath tickled his neck. "I'm sorry, but things were different then. I couldn't make the sacrifice you wanted."

"I don't blame you," he said, pressing a kiss on her forehead. "I was petrified. I wanted to offer you everything, yet I couldn't. And I was standing there, hoping you'd want me although I could offer you nothing."

"Such a long time ago," Gwen sighed. "Who would have thought a blacksmith's daughter like me would become queen?"

Arthur tightened his hold on her. "We've shared a lot of firsts," he murmured into her hair.

"We have." Then she grinned up at him, her hands drifting from his chest lower. "How about we do another first today? I'm sure there's somewhere in this dusty castle that we haven't –"

She squealed as Arthur stood, carrying her in his arms. Twining her arms around his neck, she kissed his jaw, laughing as he walked out of their room and ignoring the guards outside who looked at them with undisguised disapproval.


	23. Walk Beside Me

Gwen watches the young boy pace near the door to the throne room. Nervousness radiates from him and she feels her heart soften. Not only had this young boy saved her husband's life, he had somehow captured her husband's heart. The fondness with which Arthur spoke of young Mordred never failed to make her smile.

"Nervous?"

He starts. "My lady." He bows deeply, awkwardly, a flush of red across his cheeks. "I did not realise you were here."

"It's fine. I thought I'd see how you were."

The smile that stretches across his face is forced and his eyes belies his nervousness. "I'm alright my lady." He hesitates, then asks quietly. "They will warn me before they open the doors won't they?"

She steps in front of him and adjusts his cloak. In his chain mail and the bright red Pendragon cloak, it is easy to forget he is still a child. "I stood here once. I couldn't stop shaking because I was nervous. I was convinced something would go wrong - that I would trip walking down the aisle, that I would forget what I was supposed to do, that I would cry."

He swallows, looks at her with wide, clear eyes and nods. "What did you do?"

"I thought of Arthur." She smiles at the young knight-to-be. "When you walk down the aisle, look at him. You'll see the pride and belief he has in you in his eyes. It will give you confidence."

"Gwen!" Merlin stumbles into the room in a rush. "Arthur is asking for you and - oh. Mordred."

With a frown, she notes the cool tone of Merlin's voice and the slight furrowing of Mordred's brows. "You'll be ok," she says warmly, giving his shoulder a slight squeeze before she leaves with a clearly unhappy Merlin. 

* * *

Whenever she sees Arthur with Mordred, she thinks that Arthur would make a wonderful father. He is kind yet firm. Mordred flourishes under Arthur's watch, his rough sword skills slowly improving, his reservedness slowly thawing. He smiles more often and the haunted look in his eyes fade as the days go by.

And Arthur is happy too, to have someone to look after, to nurture.

She's about to retire to her room when she notices Mordred sitting on his own in the dark.

"Is everything alright Mordred?"

"Yes, of course my lady." He scrambles up to bow, ever polite.

"I'm not Arthur but if there is something bothering you, I hope you feel that you can come to me."

He nods but doesn't say anything.

"Good night Mordred." She brushes his cheek in affection, smiles and leaves. 

* * *

"Merlin hates me," he says without preamble.

"That's not true. It's not in his nature to hate anyone." Gwen gestures for him to sit. "Perhaps when he gets to know you better -"

"He doesn't trust me," Mordred interrupts flatly. His expression is blank but Gwen can tell it upsets him. "Nothing I do will change his mind."

The sadness in his eyes tear at Gwen and she moves towards him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Give him time. Merlin is very protective of Arthur. Perhaps he fears Arthur has put too much trust in you and it's his duty to be distrustful."

Mordred stands. "I know you two are close. Does he say anything about me?"

Shaking her head, Gwen takes his hands in hers. "He never talks about you. Arthur trusts you. I trust you. I am sure Merlin will learn to trust you in time." Her voice gentles. "Arthur tells me that he sees a lot of potential in you."

The flush on his cheeks in response tells her how much Arthur's opinion means to him and she smiles. She likes Mordred. Without thinking, she brushes a kiss on his cheek. "Don't fret about Merlin so much. He's very stubborn when he wants to be. He'll come around."

As she watches Mordred leave her chambers, she makes a note to speak to Merlin. 

* * *

She doesn't realise just how much she cares for him until he's lying on his bed on the verge of death. Gaius is looking after him but she finds herself sitting for long stretches of time beside his bed, willing him to wake.

Taking the cloth from Gaius, who she sends to rest, she gently dabs his forehead. He is so pale, his lips are almost white. Memories of her sitting next to Arthur flood her and the ache in her heart increases. On his bed, he looks younger, more vulnerable and Gwen wonders if they should have let him ride out in the first place. He isn't like Gwaine or Percival, men who have experience. He's a baby.

On the third day, he wakes suddenly, right as new. Gauis brings her the news and she rushes to his room to see it with her own eyes.

"I'm alright, my lady." His voice is still a little horse, possible from lack of use but he's standing and the colour has returned to his skin.

Impulsively, she wraps him in a hug. He hesitates for a while before his arms close around her. 

* * *

The whole day, she put on a stoic façade for Arthur who is still reeling from Mordred's escape and betrayal. But as darkness swallowed the sun and she lies in the circle of Arthur's arms, tears form and despite blinking, they leave wet tracks down her cheeks.

She thinks of the quiet conversations she had with Mordred, of confidences shared, of affection exchanged and she wonders if it were all a lie. She remembers the nervous, young boy with honest eyes, the boy who desperately sought approval from Arthur and Merlin. She remembers the excitement dancing in his eyes when told he could ride out with the knights.

What happened to that boy, she wonders. And she realises that she never truly knew him at all.

When she awakes the next morning, she knows Arthur has seen her heartbreak because he is holding her tight. They don't say anything but mourn the young boy who had become almost like a son to them.


	24. Beds and Beards

_AN: Written for a smut meme (you can go to my tumblr and add this behind the URL: /post/143031090930/so-that-sex-tropes-thing-looks-like-a-really-good). Feel free to prompt although I can't promise anything. The prompt was 'laughing in bed'._

* * *

"My lady." He takes her hand and presses a kiss to the back, a perfectly reasonable action, considering that they are King and Queen, and surrounding them is a crowd of cheering subjects waving tiny red flags.

But it is not enough. What Gwen really wants is for Arthur to sweep her off her feet, to press her cheek against his and to feel his heartbeat under her hand. It's been months, her bed's cold and her heart lonely.

His mouth is at her ear, even as he waves to the adoring crowd.

"I missed you."

* * *

He stumbles slightly as he carries her into her and she laughs into his throat. His responding laughter rumbles against her side. She misses this, the warmth of his skin, the strength of his arms and the smell of him. She misses the curl of anticipation when his hands are on her and the throb of need that he always elicits.

She cups his cheek and attempts a frown. "You need a shave."

In response, he rubs his chin against her cheek. "I like it. I look manly."

"You look unkempt. And like a caterpillar died on your chin."

His eyes narrow and before she can react, he tosses her onto the bed. He strokes the fledgling beard on his chin. "You said it looked very good on King John."

Shifting so she's sitting up, against the many pillows strewn across the bed, Gwen attempts not to laugh. "You're no King John."

Her last word ends on a squeal, as Arthur lunges towards her, pulling her so she is lying flat on the bed and her arms are lifted over her head, trapped in Arthur's hold. Some pillows fall onto the floor, but neither of them cares. He lowers his head, running his chin across the neckline of her dress, sending shivers down her spine, and she squirms. With his free hand, he eases her skirts up, brushing his fingers lightly over her inside thighs.

"Ticklish," she giggles as she tries to pull away from Arthur, but he doesn't let her escape.

"I believe that speaking ill of the King is a punishable offence," he says against the corner of her mouth, as he tickles the inside of her thigh some more. Gwen laughs and squirms, his fingers both ticklish and arousing.. "Will you apologise to your lord?"

She shakes her head, causing Arthur to drag his fingers higher, touching her everywhere except where she ached. She tries to shift, so that his fingers would touch her damp folds, but all that does is make Arthur laugh.

"Punishment, remember?" He says when she grumbles. She can feel the curl of his smile and she can't help but twist her head so that their lips are finally pressed together. She nibbles his lower lip, then slides her tongue past his lips.

It's enough to make him groan and release his hold on her wrists. Immediately, she reaches for his tunic, tugging it just high enough that she's able to touch the bare skin at his waist. She wastes no time, digs her fingers in and tickles him.

His laughter explodes in her ears and he rolls off her, gasping for air.

Gwen straddles him, pressing herself against his hardness. She grinds against him and sighs, loving at how it relieves some of the pressure that had been building in her since Arthur picked her up outside their door.

"Impatient," says Arthur, although his expression suggests that he isn't all that opposed to Gwen's impatience. He rests his hands on her hips. "Good things come to those who wait."

She rolls her eyes. She's waited for months and Arthur was out of his mind if he thinks that she's about to wait longer, not when she's slick with need and lust. Her fingers are at the ties of his trousers, loosening them, until she's able to close her hand around his heavy cock.

"Gwen," he groans, then pulls her dress down until her breasts are exposed. Eagerly, he covers them with his hands, pinching her nipple.

She leans closer to him and bites his ear. "Promise me you'll shave."

He laughs, even as he groans when she squeezes him. "Maybe."

Her nails scrape gently along his length. "Arthur."

"You drive a hard bargain," he mutters, his hips thrusting into her hand.

Gwen lifts herself, then positions the head of his cock at her entrance. She rubs herself against him, smiling when he lets out a long sigh before scowling at her.

"Say that you'll shave."

"Yes," he bites out and even before he finishes the word, Gwen lowers herself on him. He swears and his hands grip her hips. She drops her head into his shoulder. He thrusts up, she rocks. It's sweaty, messy and clumsy, just the way Gwen likes it. From the noises Arthur is making, Gwen thinks he likes it too.

"I love you," one of them says. Or maybe they both say it.


	25. Baby Sitting

Arthur took one step towards it, then stopped. He didn't want to get more involved than he was already was. But, considering the fact that the baby was in a box on his table, Arthur suspected there wasn't much more involved he could get. Rubbing his forehead, Arthur moved in the opposite direction, towards his door, where he could hopefully find Merlin and Morgana - the two fools who had embroiled him in this mess.

* * *

He had just turned the corner when Morgana barrelled into him. Instinctively, he grabbed her shoulders, surprised when something hard jabbed into him. Looking down, he noticed that Morgana seemed to have, in the few hours since he'd seen her, developed a large, squarish stomach. There was movement, a rustling of the cloak she was wearing and the next thing Arthur knew was that a box was being shoved into his hands.

"Take care of him," she'd whispered.

"Wait -"

"Just for a while. And don't tell anyone!"

And then, she'd cast a furtive look around before running off. Him, Arthur soon discovered when he returned to his room, was a tiny baby with large, blue eyes that stared unblinkingly at him when Arthur opened the box. Arthur did what any sensible young man who'd never interacted with a baby before would do - he yelled for his manservant.

Unfortunately for Arthur, his manservant was Merlin.

* * *

The baby whimpered.

Arthur glanced at the box. Whimpering was perfectly normal for babies, wasn't it? It was crying that meant trouble. So it was perfectly fine that Arthur continued to hover at his door, wishing that Merlin would return from whatever "urgent matter" he had to attend to, moments after seeing the baby.

The baby's whimpering got louder. And before Arthur could decide if he should have a peek at the infant, the whimpering turned into a full scale bawl. Swearing under his breath, Arthur walked to the table and peered into the box. Much to his horror, the baby was all red, his cheeks wet, his eyes scrunched up and his mouth wide open.

"What's wrong, baby?" Arthur asked, before realising how dumb that was. The baby was hardly going to tell him what was wrong. Even Arthur knew that. He vaguely remembered seeing some of the ladies deal with crying babies by carrying them, bouncing them gently while rubbing their backs. There was no way Arthur was going to pick up the baby - he might hold him too tight and break him or drop him - but he supposed touching the baby wouldn't be too difficult. Slowly, he reached into the box and touched the baby's chest.

For a moment, the baby stilled and the crying stopped. His bright, blue eyes stared at Arthur again. A smile spread across Arthur's face. He was good - no monster, army or baby would defeat him. Arthur brought his hand to the baby's cheek.

"You're a good boy," he murmured as he stroke the baby's soft cheek. "Such a good boy."

The baby's mouth moved, and then he started to cry again. Jerking backwards, Arthur scowled at the baby. Then, he rubbed the baby's chest, but that only seemed to make the baby more upset, his short, stumpy legs kicking violently. The baby started to hiccup in between sobs and panic grew in Arthur.

Just then, his door swung open. Finally, Merlin was back, thought Arthur, but when he looked up, it wasn't Merlin. It was even better than Merlin.

It was Gwen.

She licked her lips, her eyes darting from the box to Arthur, then back to the box again. "I - uh - I didn't mean to disturb you, my -"

"I'm so glad you're here," said Arthur as relief flooded through him. Gwen would know what to do with a crying baby. With a couple of strides, Arthur closed the distance between them. She yelped when he took her hand, then attempted to tug her towards the baby. "You see, I have a baby -"

Instead of moving willingly with him, Gwen seemed to have grown roots, not budging an inch even when he tugged harder at her hand. He glanced at her face, noting with some trepidation that Gwen seemed somewhat unhappy. Did she hate babies? Well, that didn't matter right now. Not when the box baby was screaming his head off. Soon, the whole castle would be descending on him and discovering that he was hiding a baby in his room, and then the rumours would start flying.

He tilted his head towards the box and put on the most sympathetic expression he could. "I really need help with the baby."

* * *

Baby. Arthur had a baby. The words swam in her head as she stood just inside his room. Was the baby his? And if so, who was the mother? And what did the kiss two days ago mean, then? But before she could gather her scattered thoughts, Arthur was staring pleadingly at her. Only then did she hear the baby's frantic cries.

She didn't have much experience with babies, but there was no way that cry was a good thing. And seeing that the only other person in the room was Arthur, who was clearly incapable of doing anything useful when it came to babies, she had to do something. Walking over to the box - why was Arthur's keeping his baby in a box - she gingerly lifted the baby out of it. It was a squirming, slightly damp, somewhat slippery mess but Gwen managed to manoeuvre it into her arms. The baby continued to cry, it's little face all red and scrunched up. Occasionally, it hiccupped, before crying again.

"Maybe you should do something," said Arthur, who was still hovering some distance away from the them. "Rock her? Or something?"

Gwen narrowed her eyes at Arthur. "Of course, my lord."

It elicited the response she expected. He moved towards her, her name on his lips, a mix of contrition and pleading in his tone. The moment he got close enough, Gwen thrust the screaming baby at him. His arms came up and Gwen nestled the baby into them.

"Gwen!" Arthur took a step back, his eyes wide as he stared at the baby. "I don't know what to do with it."

"But I do?"

"Well, you're a girl!"

"I have chores to do, my lord. I'm afraid I am already late."

Gwen turned away. She wasn't going to leave, of course. It would be unconscionable to leave the poor baby in Arthur's care, but neither did she want Arthur to think that all he had to do was crook his finger and she would do what he wanted, just because they happened to share a kiss some hours ago. It was a very good kiss, one that she had replayed in her head several times since, but Gwen was no fool.

"Gwen. Please?"

"Arthur," Gwen said quietly as she turned around. "I don't know much about babies either."

"I don't want to do this alone."

And how could Gwen resist that?

It took Arthur pacing the room for several minutes before the baby's cries subsided, turning into pathetic little sniffles. Carefully, Arthur sat down, his hold tightening on the baby. Then, he looked at her, his eyes still wide with what appeared to be shock and a little bit of awe.

"Now what?" Arthur looked back at the baby when it whimpered.

"I was thinking, perhaps it's hungry."

"What do babies eat?"

Gwen blinked. "Milk? Curd? Eggs?"

"Well, it doesn't have teeth so maybe not eggs." Once again, his eyes met hers. The shock and awe had faded, replaced with a tinge of amusement. "We should probably stop calling it it too."

"Don't you know it's name? Is it a boy or girl?"

Arthur shrugged, then lifted up part of the cloth the baby was wrapped in. "Looks like he's a boy."

They called him Amhar. Arthur had seen that name once during some boring history lesson, and for some reason it had stuck in his mind. So after they cleaned up his bottom and fed him some milk that Gwen got from somewhere mysterious, Arthur suggested the name. Gwen lifted an eyebrow, shook her head, then smiled.

Arthur had to pace up and down for quite a while before Amhar finally stopped fussing and fell asleep. Just as he was about to put Amhar back into the box, Gwen stopped him and he ended up settling Amhar on his bed. He'd mentioned something about himself not having anywhere to sleep, but Gwen had just rolled her eyes at him. Clearly, Amhar had supplanted him in her heart in those few hours.

Speaking of hearts, Arthur suspected his own had melted earlier when Gwen had cradled Amhar in her arms, cooing at him as she fed him. The desire to walk to the two of them and slip his arm around Gwen's shoulders took him by surprise with its strength. So he'd done the sensible thing - made a silly comment and retreated to his desk where he pretended he wasn't taking surreptitious peeks at her and Amhar.

"I'm going to go now," whispered Gwen, her eyes still on the snoozing Amhar.

"What? No. You can't leave me here alone."

"What would people think if I spent the night in your room?"

Arthur edged closer to her, his shoulders brushing against hers and they both stared down at Amhar. Slowly, he entwined his fingers with hers, pleased when she didn't pull away. "I can't do this without you."

She lifted her head and their eyes met. "I know."

* * *

The moon was high in the sky and Arthur's lids were heavy. Amhar, however, was heavier and apparently, not interested in sleeping. At least, he wasn't crying. After three days, Arthur could tell when a whimper was a prelude to a hearty cry and when it was just a simple whimper.

"He's still not sleeping?" Gwen shifted in the chair at the corner of Arthur's room.

Arthur turned to look at her. The bun that her hair had been in was loose and stray strands framed her sleepy face. He'd offered her the bed that first night, but she'd refused, then sat on his chair, tucked her feet under her and snuggled into the upholstery. She'd dozed off some time later, and Arthur had spent the rest of the night alternating between watching her, watching Amhar and short naps.

He hefted Amhar higher onto his shoulder. "No. I thought that I would take him out for a walk. Perhaps the fresh air will calm him down. Would you like to come? It's late. No one will see us."

She stood, smoothening the dress she wore. "I've always wanted to see the Royal Gardens."

Amhar secured in one arm, he offered Gwen his other, his heart tripping a little when she placed hers in his.

* * *

She'd lied to Arthur about never being in the Royal Gardens. She'd snuck in a few times, snatching quick looks at the sprawling area before the guards could catch her. But hand in hand with Arthur, with no worry about getting caught, this was a completely different experience. They strolled under the stars, occasionally tending to Amhar who quickly became sleepy, occasionally indulging in castle gossip.

It felt strangely like home - Arthur, her and Amhar. When the thought struck her, she glanced at Arthur who was staring intently at her.

"Arthur."

His free hand cupped her face, his eyes dropped to her lips - lips that suddenly became dry. Gwen licked her lips, her tongue disappearing just as Arthur kissed her. It was a gentle brush of his lips across hers, and one of them groaned. They broke apart for a moment before she leaned towards Arthur and kissed him again. His hand tangled in her hair, his lips parting to tease hers with his tongue.

Then Amhar wailed.

* * *

Arthur was pointing out the various parts of the Upper Village to Amhar when Morgana marched into his room.

"Where's the baby?"

"Why hello Morgana. Nice of you to visit after saddling me with Amhar for a whole week!"

She arched an eyebrow. "You look like you managed well. Now can I have him back."

Arthur tightened his arms around Amhar. Nothing to do with the sense of protectiveness towards the little boy who was poking his face with his finger. He just wasn't about to hand over Amhar to Morgana when she owed him answers to a million questions.

"Who is he?"

"Him?" Morgana shrugged. "A baby I found."

"And why have you been keeping him a secret?" Amhar was now trying to stuff his fingers into Arthur mouth. "You didn't steal it, did you?"

Morgana gasped. "Would I be capable of something like that?"

Arthur didn't dignify that question with a response.

"The baby? Surely you haven't gotten that attached to it."

"I'm not handing over an innocent, vulnerable baby to you when I am not sure about your intentions."

The door to his room swung open. "I'm done with the kitchens. Is Amhar hungry - oh. My lady."

Morgana let out a low whistle. "You named the baby? And now I why the baby is still alive in your care."

"I should go," said Gwen. "I'm sorry to have interrupted." Before Arthur could reply, she scurried out of the door.

"So you and Gwen?"

"Tell me about the baby," said Arthur.

Morgana stuck to the story of finding the baby in the forest, embellishing it with a few more details that Arthur wasn't quite sure whether to believe. Then, she mentioned the Druids.

"This is a Druid baby?" Amhar whimpered at Arthur's tone. Immediately, Arthur cuddled him closer and nuzzled his head. "Morgana!"

"That's why I told you keep it a secret." Morgana reached for Amhar. "Now pass him to me. I'm going to bring him back to his family."

"You know where the Druids are."

"And I'm not telling you. Baby?"

Arthur looked into Amhar's face - the wide, green eyes and the slightly damp cheek - and his heart clenched. Without thinking, he dropped a kiss on Amhar's head. Then, Arthur handed him over to Morgana.

"Thanks Arthur." Morgana smiled, spun on her heels and stalked out of the room.

* * *

Gwen hesitated outside Arthur's door. With Amhar gone, there wasn't really any reason to visit his room. But if Arthur was feeling even the slightest bit like her, he might appreciate the company. Sucking in a breath, Gwen knocked.

"Hey," said Arthur. He leaned against the door and smiled at her.

"Yeah."

"Let's take a walk in the Royal Gardens." He offered his hand, and Gwen took it.

They laughed at Amhar's antics and speculated what he was doing now as they walked in the Gardens. By now, it seemed natural to hold hands and they stopped near a fountain. With a tug, Arthur pulled Gwen closer to him. She leaned into him, inhaling his scent. For a week, the three of them had seemed like family, and the thought that they would be going back to being Prince and servant made her feel a little hollow.

"I miss him. He was pain in a lot of ways, but I miss him."

"Me too."

"Maybe one day -" Arthur cleared his throat and looked into the stars. "Maybe we'll have our own one day."

Gwen looked at him. He looked down and smiled, almost shyly. Leaning her head on Arthur's shoulder, she smiled as well.

"Maybe."


End file.
